Summary
TheMarvel Cinematic Universehas brought many characters back for multiple appearances, and that has led to exciting sequels that deepen the impact of certain heroes, villains, and stories. Some of theMCU’s best movieshave been sequels, something that should become even more common in the future. The reason for that isMarvel now has a new mandate to focus on franchises, which comes from Disney’s decision to fix issues company-wide.
As such,original movies likeEternalsare unlikely to come out, with a focus on sequels, team projects, and Marvel’s biggest characters.Future MCU moviescan learn from the sequels that came before, as they teach different lessons regarding what to do or not to do, no matter how big or small the character is. With that in mind, here are the 10 best MCU sequels, withDeadpool & Wolverinenot included due to the first two movies not being set in the MCU.
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With Deadpool & Wolverine concluding one of the best Marvel trilogies, the list includes some impressive live-action entries both in the MCU and not.
The Marvels
Cast
The Marvels follows Carol Danvers, aka Captain Marvel, whose powers entwine with Jersey City super-fan Kamala Khan and S.A.B.E.R. astronaut Captain Monica Rambeau. As unintended consequences destabilize the universe, the trio must collaborate to navigate a new threat linked to a Kree revolutionary and an anomalous wormhole.
The Marvelsbeing on the list should prove itself controversial. The movie ended up becoming a major box-office disappointment, with theCaptain Marvelsequel now the lowest-grossing movie in the MCU. However, despite its poor box office performance,The Marvelsis far from a bad movie.The sequel actually improved on the originalCaptain Marvel— which grossed over $1 billion worldwide — in pretty much every way.
Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers was much more entertaining in the team-up movie than in her solo film. The reason for that is thatThe Marvelsdid a great job by bringing togetherCarol, Monica Rambeau, and Kamala Khan, who had electric chemistry. The setup of the heroes switching places whenever they used their powers also added an air of unpredictability to the film and led to creative fight scenes. All in all,The Marvelswas a very fun cosmic adventure.
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Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness follows Doctor Strange as he navigates diverse and perilous alternate realities in the Multiverse with the aid of mystical allies. Directed by Sam Raimi, this installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe introduces a mysterious new adversary.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnessalmost broke the $1 billion barrier, and for good reason. The movie is one of the biggest releases of the MCU’s Multiverse Saga, following Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange as he attempts to save the young America Chavez from a murderous Scarlet Witch. WhileElizabeth Olsen’s character turning full villain afterWandaVision’s endingis questionable, the actress delivered one of the best villain performances in the MCU.
It was shocking to see Wanda Maximoff leave an enormous path of destruction behind her. Part of that included the graphic murders of the Illuminati. The team was one of the movie’s high points, bringing back Patrick Stewart as a Charles Xavier variant, withfan-favorite John Krasinski playing a version of Reed Richardsfrom the Fantastic Four, and more. The movie introduced multiverse concepts that will be key for the next two Avengers films.
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Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever explores the efforts of Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje as they strive to safeguard Wakanda from external threats following King T’Challa’s passing. Collaborating with allies like War Dog Nakia and Everett Ross, they seek to shape the nation’s future.
Black Panther: Wakanda Foreverhad the inevitably hard task of honoring Chadwick Boseman’s legacy as T’Challa while also moving forward the story of Wakanda and its characters. The movie succeeded on both fronts.T’Challa’s death and funeral at the start of the movie were handled perfectly, with the former Black Panther’s presence being felt throughout the film, even if he did not show up on screen.
Letitia Wright’s Shuri got her chance to shine in the MCU movie, becoming the new Black Panther. The similarities and differences between Wakanda and Talokan made for an impactful movie, withTenoch Huerta’s Namor proving himself a mighty foe for Shurito take on in her debut as Black Panther. The MCU sequel also did great by going deeper into Wakanda’s large cast of characters and showing how revealing itself to the world has affected the country.
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Thor: Ragnarok
Thor: Ragnarok, released on July 18, 2025, is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It features Chris Hemsworth as Thor, who is imprisoned on the other side of the universe, racing against time to return to Asgard to prevent Ragnarok and confront the formidable Hela.
Chris Hemsworth holds an impressive MCU record, with the actor being the only one in the franchise to get four solo movies. 2017’sThor: Ragnarokis easily the best of them, with the sequel turning the hero around andputting forward the best version of Thor the MCU has seen to date. Director Taika Waititi fired on all cylinders with the movie, overhauling the tone of the Thor franchise for a hilarious and vibrant space adventure.
There were also real stakes, with Thor losing an eye and Asgard inThor: Ragnarok.
While that would not be replicated in Waititi’sThor: Love and Thunder,Thor: Ragnarokstill stands as one of the MCU’s best movies. The film injected new life into Thor, with the character having some worthy companions, such as the Hulk, Valkyrie, Loki, and Korg. The adventure on Sakaar was fun, but there wereplenty of emotional and darker moments whenever Cate Blanchett’s Hela was involved, striking a nice balance. Hela brought out Thor’s ultimate version, with the hero embracing his God of Thunder moniker.
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Captain America: Civil War
Captain America: Civil War focuses on the aftermath of Age of Ultron as international governments legislate to regulate superhuman activity. This divides the Avengers, forming opposing factions led by Iron Man and Captain America, culminating in a significant conflict between former allies.
Captain America: Civil Warwas a different kind of MCU movie. While a sequel starring Chris Evans' Captain America, the film could also be viewed as a kind of Avengers 2.5. Instead of fighting against villains, the Avengers were fighting among themselves.Daniel Brühl’s Zemo was an incredibly smart character who managed to manipulate the Avengers, starting a conflict that would ultimately break the team apart.
Some of the MCU’s most exciting interactions and fight sequences happen inCaptain America: Civil War. The movie also introduced two major characters to the franchise, with thedebuts of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther. While there was plenty of spectacle to marvel at, the core emotional story between Captain America and Iron Man’s different viewpoints on the Sokovia Accords was the film’s beating heart, ending with one of the MCU’s best fights.
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Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 follows Peter Quill as he grapples with the loss of Gamora while rallying his team to defend the universe. The Guardians face a crucial mission to protect one of their own, with stakes that could alter the fate of the group forever.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3is one of the most emotional films in the MCU. The project was the perfect way to cap off the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, to the point that it would be okay if there were no other movies for the cosmic team in the MCU. In his last MCU movie before moving on to spearhead the new DC Universe, director James Gunn madeGuardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3a personal story focused on Rocket Raccoon.
Over the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers films,Bradley Cooper’s Rocket became one of the most beloved characters in the MCU. Seeing him suffer in his early years at the hands of the High Evolutionary was heartbreaking, with the character’s backstory finally explored. The movie was a beautiful way to send off many of the Guardians of the Galaxy members, delivering hilarious scenes, plenty of tears, excellent team dynamics, and top-notch action.
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Captain America: The Winter Soldieris the most grounded MCU movie to date. The film is commonly referred to as one of the shared universe’s best, and for good reason. Chris Evans soars as Steve Rogers, with the actor being accompanied by a talented ensemble that includes Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Anthony Mackie’s Falcon, Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier, and more. The latter returned to the MCU in grand style, playing one of the franchise’s best villains.
The action inCaptain America: The Winter Soldieris visceral, with Steve and Bucky trading blows throughout the movie, and also has the place for more intricate visual effects, with Sam Wilson’s Falcon in the sky and the whole third act Helicarrier action. The mystery feel of the movie was refreshing, presenting a story that felt urgent and kept viewers on their toes. A decade later, Marvel is still trying to recreateCaptain America: The Winter Soldier’s tone with new projects.
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Avengers: Infinity War
Avengers: Infinity War brings together the Avengers and their allies to face a new threat from the cosmos, Thanos, who seeks to collect the Infinity Stones. The film, part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, unites numerous superhero characters in a battle to prevent Thanos' ambition of altering reality itself.
Avengers: Infinity Warshook the MCU to its core. The movie was an unprecedented event in superhero films, bringing together characters from not only the Avengers movies but all over the MCU.Josh Brolin’s Thanos was the true star of the film, with the focus on the villain’s quest upping the stakes to the highest they had ever been in the franchise. Also, having so many different heroes interact led to delightful moments.
Characters like the Iron Man, Doctor Strange, and Spider-Man group showed incredible chemistry that fans had been dreaming about for years.Avengers: Infinity Warwas almost non-stop action, with Thanos on his quest to collect all the Infinity Stones and erase half of the universe’s population. The movie was dark and made it seem like all the heroes could die at any moment. With Thanos victorious and several Avengers snapped away,Avengers: Infinity Warhas the most impactful ending in the MCU.
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Spider-Man: No Way Home
For the first time in the cinematic history of Spider-Man, our friendly neighborhood hero is unmasked and no longer able to separate his normal life from the trials and tribulations of being a superhero. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) asks for help from Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) when his identity becomes a problem for the ones he loves. Unfortunately, when the spell goes wrong, Spider-Man will now have to face off with villains such as Doctor Octopus (Alfred Molina) and Electro (Jamie Foxx) as Peter finally comes to terms that he can’t run from being Spider-Man. Supported by his close friends and help from an unexpected place (or multiverse), Spider-Man will go toe-to-toe with some of the most legendary foes in his storied history.
Spider-Man: No Way Homemade every Peter Parker fan’s wildest dreams come true. The fact the movie even exists is a miracle, but it actually being one of the most exciting entries in the MCU just makes it all the better. The MCU’s third Spider-Man moviebrought together Tom Holland, Tobey Maguire, and Andrew Garfield as their versions of Spider-Man. The trio sits among Marvel’s best live-action teams.
Holland, Maguire, and Garfield’s Spider-Man had pitch-perfect chemistry, making them feel like brothers, which the actors have since talked about, saying it was also their feeling behind the scenes.Spider-Man: No Way Homealso did a masterful job of keeping the focus on Holland’s Peter Parker despite the arrival of the multiverse Spider-Men and villains from their movies.The MCU’s Spider-Man suffered heavy lossesthat will completely change Peter forever, makingSpider-Man: No Way Homea love letter to the character and a perfect trilogy finale.
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Finally,Avengers: Endgameis the biggest sequel in the MCU. The movie had the daunting task of not only following up the excellentAvengers: Infinity Warbut also serving as the culmination of a decade of stories.Avengers: Endgamewas right to mostly focus on the original Avengers team— with a few additions — as it allowed the heroes to have one final adventure together before half would die or leave the MCU.
The idea of having time travel play a role in the movie was inspired. It allowedAvengers: Endgameto be a big victory lap around the MCU, going back to key moments in the franchise. Iron Man and Black Widow’s deaths were shocking and extremely sad, but at the end of the day, the heroes won.The movie stands as the Avengers' biggest win, balancing so many characters with great skill and bringing to life the best superhero live-action battle ever in its third act, crowningAvengers: EndgametheMCU’s best sequel.
